The parliamentary debate on the economy yesterday seemed more like a 1970’s professionally wrestling match than a political dialogue in a democratic country.

There were plenty of insults and personal attacks. Words such as crook, liar, and others, with the same intensity and tenor, were repeated countless times by the prime minister and the main opposition leader.

The prime minister started the invective, in an effort to confront a priori the pressure that he was expecting.In his initial remarks, he hastened to accuse the leader of New Democracy of undermining the interests of the country abroad, and almost demanded his silence because he is exposed as a main representative of corrupt vested interests.

That riled up the main opposition leader and provoked a counter-attack with references to the newfangled circle of left-leaning vested interests.

After that, all sorts of issues were mixed up, from the economy and the FYROM naming issue, to the extreme right, vested interests and family affairs, creating an atmosphere of decline and an environment of gutter aesthetics.Whoever watched the entire debate was left with a sorrowful impression and a sense of absolute decline and absolute regression.

Unfortunately, yesterday’s performance was a foretaste of the upcoming electoral period.

It was a rehearsal for the electoral struggle that will follow, which will apparently be conducted in conditions of great intensity and unprecedented division.

Yesterday, it became clear that there are preparations for a clash similar to those in the distant past, without principles or a sense of measure.

One would have expected that the many unfortunate experience of the great crisis, and the revelations of the countless errors in handling it, would have quelled the antitheses and created an environment for at least a rudimentary debate.

They should know – and especially those in power – that shouting and invective are not able to cover up the managerial and other deficits of the current government.

The attempted polarisation benefits only the enemies of democracy, and no one else.

Let that be known to Mr. Tsipras, who raised the sword and pretends to be the angel of cleansing.He himself is not sinless.